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J. F. CUNNINGHAM. j TAPER SLIDEJ OR HOLDER FOR GAS LIGHTING TORGHBSQ No.380,094. Patented Mar; 27, 1888 WITNESSES Arman/5y 1 [wt N, PETERS.Fholo'ulhogn'pllur. Wilhinghn, D.C.

UNITED STATES I PATENT; OFFICE.

JAMES F. CUNNINGHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE E. P.

.GLEASON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAMEPLAOE.

TAPER SLIDE ORHOLDER FOR GAS-LIGHTING TORCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,094, dated March27, 1888.

Applicationfiled October 3. 1887. Serial No. 251.355. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JAMES F. CUNNINGHAM, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of the city of New York,i'n the county andState of New York, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement inTaper Slides or Holders for Gas-Lighting Torches, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in gas-lighting torches such asdescribed in the Letters Patent of E. P. Gleason, dated J one 24, 1873,and N 0. 140,191, and in Letters Patent of J. W. Houchin, dated February27, 1883, and No. 273,085; and it consists of a new and novelconstruction of the sliding wax-taper holder, which is hereinafter fullydescribed and shown. Said taper-holder heretofore was constructed tocontract and clamp the wax taper to hold sufficiently by inserting it inthe wax-taperguideo tube over it. In consequence said holder had toslide tightly and'hot readily and very inconveniently in the guide-tube.Said holder has also been constructed with jaws grasping the tapers endwhen inserted in said tube,

2 which has frequently caused the jaws to cut the taper and separate andbite it oil, and said holder has been constructed without a guidestop todetermine the length of the taper end to be engaged by the holder.

Therefore,theobjectofthisinventionistoprovide and construct theholdernot to pinch but slide readily in its guide-tube and firmly hold thetaper end without cutting it, and that an equal only requisite portionof each taper end 5 be engaged and wasted by the holder; and the objectof the invention is also to construct the taper-holder in amanner as torequire the least quantity of metal and labor, so that the holder isproduced at a more moderate expense than 40 those heretofore in use.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 represents a sectionalelevation of the upper portion of the torch-holder with a slidingwaxtaper holder constructed according to my in- 4 5 vention. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the sliding taper holder detached and shown on alarger scale than before. I of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical section ofthe same through its portion engaged by the taper end, the line ofsection being indicated by the sioned taper-holder.

Fig. 3 is an end view dotted line a b in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection of the same, the line of section indicated by the dotted line 0d in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a face view of the laid-out flat blank or patternof sheet metal and with an outline to correspond with the said desiredand dimen-' Fig. 7 isadiagram showing the relative positions of theblanks as cut from the sheet of metal, theoutlines of the blanks shownin dotted lines. 6o

A, Fig. 1,- represents the key portion of the torch, and B the wax-tapertube of the same,

which latter has the usual longitudinal-slot, G,

in which the taper-holder D slides. The portion E of the holder iscontracted to slide readily in the slot 0 of the tube B, and Frepresents the handle portion of the holder, which is partly cylindricalin form and projects laterally from the contracted portion E upon theexterior of the guide-tube, thus forming ahan- 7o dle by which thetaper-holder can be raised or lowered by the operator.

The portion G of the holder serves to engage the tapers end. It jointsthe portion E, and projects inwardly into the tube B, and is made toslide very readily in said tube. Said portion Gis formed of the endsIand J of the sheet-metal blanks. Said ends do not quite meet oppositeone another, but allow a small space to remain between them. Each isbent in semicircular 86 form to follow the interior bore of the tube B,and they move easily therein. The end Iis of equal height with theportions E and F; but the endJ extends considerably above, as shown.

In the upper extremity of said end J is cut a taper-notch, K, formingtwo opposite points at the extreme ends. The portion in which the notchK is made is bent downward and made circular in form to conform in shapeto the interior of the tube B. The top portion of the 0 end I has aportion forming a lip, L, cut and bent from it laterally to extendinwardly, as shown. The lip L serves as a stop to prevent the extremeend of the taper being placed beyond its required engagement with theholder, 5 and with said end against said lip L the taper is pressed toseat along the inside of the end J and is pressed into the notch K. Theholder is thereafter inserted with the taper into the top end of thetube B, and as the holder is slid roe into the guide-tube the taper iscarried with I it, and it can be moved in and out of the guidetube byoperating the holder. In the tapered notch K the taper is solidly heldto the holder without cutting to damage the taper, and the holder canslide very readily up or down in the tube B.

In constructing the holder (which is preferably composed of one piece ofsheet brass, copper, or other suitable metal) a'flat blank is cut fromthe sheet of metal by means of a suitable die and punch, (not shown,)which are preferably of such shape and dimensions as to cut a blank ofthe shape shown in Fig. 6. Aft-er the blank is cut out with the notch Kand cut in for the lip L the blank is turned over a proper-shapedmandrel to bring its ends J and I opposite, and with a proper diepressing or closing the blank against and upon the man-' shape may bevaried to suit the convenience of the tools. 7

From the sheet of metal the blanks are punched or cut, and the sheet isfed to the punch from blank to blank relative to each other, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 7, from which it will be observed that a smallwaste of metal is produced on account of the rear outline ofthe blankmeshing with the forward outline of the next.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The herein-described taper-holder for use in gas-lighting torches,consisting, essentially, of ahandle portion, ataper-engaging portionconnected with the handle portion by a neck or reduced portion, an armextending upwardly from the taper-engaging portion and provided with anotch in its upper end, and a laterally inwardly ezgtending lip locatedbelow said notch, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

O. F. KELLEY, E. F. GENNERT.

